Kanoff eyes all-time yardage record as Tigers host the Hoyas

This weekend, Princeton football (2-1 overall) heads up to face its final non-conference opponent, Georgetown (1-3), on Powers Field at Princeton Stadium; kickoff is set for 1 p.m. on Saturday. Last year when these teams encountered one other, Princeton’s defense was dominant, forcing five turnovers and only allowing one third down conversion on 12 attempts. These teams have only played eight times, a series that the Tigers lead 7-1. However, the one time the teams met on Powers Field, the Hoyas got away with the victory.

Princeton will rely heavily on its passing attack again this week, as it has been tremendously successful so far this season. Senior quarterback Chad Kanoff will likely continue throwing the ball as well as he has so far this season, closing in on the second-place spot on the all-time passing yards list at Princeton (Kanoff is 246 yards away from Matt Verbit’s mark set from 2001–04). Kanoff was also named a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy earlier this week. The trophy is one of the top scholar-athlete honors in college football, with candidates required to demonstrate a minimum GPA of 3.2, outstanding football ability as a first-team player, and strong leadership qualities.

Kanoff’s favorite targets this season so far have been junior wide receiver Stephen Carlson and junior wide receiver Jesper Horsted. Carlson has 292 receiving yards so far this season and Horsted has 262, marks that are good enough to put them at second and fourth in the Ivy League, respectively. In addition, both have caught four touchdown passes so far this year, including a three-touchdown performance from Carlson in the season opener against San Diego. Both Carlson and Horsted could have chances at 1,000-yard receiving seasons this year, something that has only been done three times in the history of Princeton football.

Last week against Harvard, Georgetown struggled to hold onto the ball, turning it over four times in the first half. This weekend, look for an active Princeton defense to try to put pressure on the Hoyas’ offense and force them into making mistakes. In particular, keep an eye on junior linebacker Mike Wagner, who has had back-to-back, multiple-sack games over the last two weeks for the Tigers. His sack total of four has tied him at the top of the Ivy League for most sacks so far this season.

If you are unable to make the trip down to the stadium for Saturday’s game, there are a few other ways that you can watch the game. NBC Sports Philadelphia will be carrying it live and both ESPN3 and the Ivy League Network will have live streams available through their online platforms. Radio coverage will also be provided on 103.3 FM, which can be accessed through the TuneIn Radio application.